Article 50 of Regulation (EU) 2025/40, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
| Applies from | January 1, 2029 |
|---|---|
| Binds | Member States, producers, final distributors |
| Evidence | Locked read in the EUR-Lex text |
By January 1, 2029 member states must ensure separate collection of at least 90 percent per year by weight of single-use plastic beverage bottles up to three liters and single-use metal beverage containers up to three liters, and to achieve that must set up deposit and return systems with a deposit charged at point of sale. Exemption from the DRS obligation requires a separate-collection rate of 80 percent or more by weight in calendar year 2026, notified with an implementation plan by January 1, 2028 (Art. 50(5)); the 90 percent figure is the collection target, not the exemption threshold. The exemption lapses if the rate stays below 90 percent for three consecutive years. HORECA may be exempted where the container is opened, consumed and returned on the premises. The deposit duty in Art. 50(2) does not apply to packaging for the listed categories of wine products and aromatized wine products, similar products from other fruit and vegetables and other fermented beverages (CN code 2206 00), spirits (CN heading 2208), and the listed milk and milk products (Art. 50(4)); the collection target in Art. 50(1) is not lifted.